Resurrection
by RClaybourne
Summary: This is a multi-chapter fic about what might happens if Lamar were to die, and how the people in his life might react.
1. Chapter 1

**res****·****ur****·****rec****·****tion**

_noun _

1.

the act of rising from the dead.

2.

( _initial capital letter _) the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

3.

( _initial capital letter _) the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.

4.

the state of those risen from the dead.

5.

a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.

**Chapter 1 – PawPaw Died Today**

##

_My grandfather died today._

Deacon looked down at his phone, reading the text from Maddie. He quickly scanned his phone for any other messages before switching over to call Maddie.

"Deacon?" she asked, sounding like she had been crying.

"Sweetheart, I just got your text. How-"

Maddie cuts him off. "Can you come over?" she asks, quietly sniffling.

"Of course," he says, a bit awkwardly. "I'll be there in a few minutes. You're at home? Is anyone there with you?"

"We're home. It's just me and Daphne. Mom is upstairs, but she's really upset. I've never seen her like this. Aunt Tandy left a little while ago. She just walked out."

"I'm on my way. I'll be there in a few minutes." Deacon stared at his phone for a few seconds before grabbing his jacket and calling Megan as he walked to his car.

"Hey. I'm real sorry. I'm not going to be able to meet you for dinner. Maddie just called me. Lamar Wyatt's dead."

##

Megan had just hung up the phone and was staring down at the stacks of paperwork on her desk as Mayor Conrad knocked on the door.

"Hey," She said after inviting him in to her office.

"Hey. I thought I should come by. I just found out Lamar Wyatt died. He apparently had another heart attack. I figured you would need to know right away. This will impact the case."

"This is going to impact a lot of things. Was anyone with him when he had his heart attack?"

"Apparently Rayna was. I spoke to her a little while ago. She said she confronted him about the gunman."

"Is she okay?"

"She sounded okay. She said Tandy was coming over to discuss the arrangements for his funeral and she was going to spend the night in with the girls."

Megan nodded. She didn't mention that Deacon was heading over to see Maddie. She still felt the need to protect their father daughter time. She knew how important that was to him, and she was on his side when it came to Maddie. At the same time, she suddenly found herself feeling lonely and in need of a dinner date.

"Well, I guess I need to take another look at this case, and I have some things I'd like to pick your brain about. Any interest in joining me for take-out?"

##

Maddie is waiting at the door when Deacon pulls up and Deacon rushes over to meet her.

"Thanks for coming over," she says to her father, looking relieved that he's there.

"Hey, darlin', let's get you inside. Iit's cold out here." Deacon wraps an arm around her and they head into the house. Daphne walks over when she sees him, saying hello and giving him a small hug around his waist.

"I'm so sorry about your Pawpaw," he says soothingly. "Are you two doin' okay? Where's your mama?"

"She's upstairs," Daphne tells him. "She said she'd be down in a little while, but I think she's crying."

"Well, she's probably real sad right about now, but I'm sure she'll be okay. Why don't we go sit down and I'll hang out with you girls for a bit."

"Thank you," Maddie says, and she starts sobbing, sitting down on the couch, elbows on knees, her face buried in her hands.

"It's okay, Maddie," Daphne tells her, sitting down next to her sister and rubbing her back.

"Daphne, can you go and get me some tissues?"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

Once Daphne leaves the room, Maddie tells Deacon "I was trying not to cry in front of Daphne, but I think there is more going on with Mom. Aunt Tandy just left, and she looked upset. And I heard her and mom arguing before that. Mom told her to get out. She said she was just like PawPaw and they were both liars who played games with people's lives. Is that true? I know Mom was mad at him a lot, but was he a bad person? I miss him."

Deacon wraps his arms around Maddie, gently stroking the back of her head to soothe her as Daphne returns with the tissues. He lets her tears soak his shirt as he reaches for Daphne's hand from where she is sitting on the table in front of them.

"Sometimes people say things that don't make much sense when they're hurt or upset. Your mama will be okay. And I know it won't bring your PawPaw back, but I want you to know, I love you girls both so much. I'm here for you both, if you want to talk about him, or just sit here together. I know you girls meant the world to him."

"We just saw him. He was so happy to be home. We had dinner together."

"We sang him a song with Mom," Daphne adds matter-of-factly. "He said it was the best song he's ever heard. And he said he liked the cards we made him while he was away."

"I bet he loved all of it."

Daphne gets up and moves to sit next to Deacon. He puts his other arm around her and they sit quietly for a while.

"You know, I wasn't much older than you, Maddie, when I first met Lamar."

"Really? Did he like you?"

Deacon grins, remembering the first time he'd made Lamar's acquaintance. Lamar had kicked Rayna out of the house 3 days prior, and she'd been sleeping at his place while Deacon bunked on the sofa. Deacon was one of Rayna's only friends that had his own place, and she hadn't wanted to stay with anyone's parents. Deacon had been passed out after far too many shots of whiskey. It was near 3 am when Lamar knocked on the door. He had asked Lamar "who the hell" he was before telling him Rayna was asleep in his bed and didn't want to speak to the man. Not wanting to share this with the girls, he instead said "we didn't exactly hit it off right away, but, you know, he actually helped the band out quite a bit over the years. I'm not sure your mother was even aware of that. And he used to check in with me when we were on the road on tour. A lot of times she wasn't talking to him, and while I don't think he liked me much, he knew I'd look after her. That man would do anything for his family."

"I guess you're a lot alike in that way," Maddie says, looking up at him.

He looks down into her brown eyes and smiles. "I guess we are." With that, he pulls her closer and presses a kiss on the top of her head.

##

Maddie and Daphne have cheered up a bit and are sharing some of their favorite memories of their grandfather with Deacon when Rayna softly walks into the room.

"Deacon!" Her eyes light up from beneath her depths of sadness.

Deacon walks over to her. In a soft voice he says, "Hey, Rayna. Maddie called me. She asked me to come over." Rayna gives him a polite smile, then looks away, distraught. "Ray, I'm so sorry about your dad." She nods, fighting hard to keep herself together. Deacon reaches out placing his hands gently on her arms. "Are you okay?"

Looking more lost then he's ever seen her, she struggles to shake her head. "No," escapes her lips before she completely breaks down. Deacon wraps her up in his arms as she cries. "He tried to kill Teddy," she whispers, so only he can hear. "He killed my mama!" With that, her legs give out and he guides her to a kitchen chair. Deacon has never seen her look so broken before.

Rayna takes a deep breath and pulls away from him suddenly. "I know you're here for Maddie but-"

The look in her eyes tells him how much she needs him. He cuts off her sentence. "Ray, I'm here for all three of you. I will ALWAYS be here for you. You don't need to save yourself all the time."

Tears start pouring out again and she buries her head into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Deacon. I'm so sorry for everything."

"Shhh...It's okay. "He looks down at her. "Why don't you go be with your girls and let me make y'all some dinner," she nods, looking very much like the innocent 16 year old he fell in love with so very long ago. "Then later, you tell me whatever you want to tell me...about your dad...about Tandy…"

Her eyes widen, but she nods again. "Thank you. I'd like that."

He walks her over to the sofa and Maddie makes room for her between herself and her sister. Maddie puts her arm around Rayna.

"How 'bout a little breakfast for dinner, girls?"

"Brinner!" Daphne says enthusiastically. "Can I help?"

##

**Thank you all for reading this. I hope this wasn't too boring. Just setting things up for the next chapter! Reviews, suggestions, feedback are all welcome and appreciated! Stay tuned!**

**Special thanks to Nashville 1211 for her suggestions!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Awakening**

##

"The sprinkle hotcakes were Daphne's idea, but we also have blueberry , banana and plain buttermilk," Deacon explains, inviting Rayna and Maddie to the dinner table.

"I thought the rainbow sprinkles would cheer you up, Mom!"

"Oh, they look fantastic!" Rayna says, giving Daphne a squeeze. "Thank you for making these. This is perfect," she adds, meeting Deacon's eyes.

The four enjoy a quiet dinner. Deacon and the two girls swap stories about their favorite breakfast foods and fruits, and the blackberry pancakes Deacon's mom used to make, whenever he didn't eat all of the blackberries from the bushes that grew in their backyard.

"One day I ate so many blackberries when I was supposed to be out picking them for my mama to bake a pie for a potluck. I was so sick! It was a long time before I could even look at a blackberry again!"

"Mom, remember that time we picked strawberries?" Daphne asks.

"Yes! You ate so many strawberries I couldn't get the red juice off of your face! We had no idea you had eaten so many. You were so quiet; we should have suspected something was up!" Rayna smiles, her mood a little lighter.

"Deacon, what were your parents like?" Maddie asks.

Deacon looks down for just a moment, gathering his thoughts before explaining to Maddie for the first time what her grandparents were truly like. Instead, Rayna jumps in, "Your mama was the sweetest woman. She was such a good cook, and even by the time I met her, she was just beautiful. She looked so much like Scarlett!"

Deacon smiles. "Scarlett does look a whole lot like her. All that hair! But my mama wasn't always so sweet. You should have heard her after having to clean up that mess I made, uh- after the blackberries made their way back up," he grins, dimples showing through his facial hair. "Or the time my baseball just happened to go through my bedroom window… Scarlett gets her feistiness from her, too, not just that hair!"

Rayna laughs. "I got a preview of that last week! The poor girl is just so tired. She's not the only one who gets feisty, though," Rayna adds, looking at Maddie.

"Maddie!" Daphne clarifies.

Maddie looks embarrassed, but Deacon just smile sat her.

"Alright, it is actually getting pretty late. Why don't I get this cleaned up and you girls can get ready for bed. It's been a long day for all of us," Rayna instructs.

"Deacon, will you read to me tonight?" Daphne asks.

"Come on, I'll read your book to you, and you can even sleep in my room tonight."

"Yes! Thanks, Maddie! Goodnight, Mom. I love you! Goodnight, Deacon." Daphne gives them both hugs. Maddie follows suit and joins her sister upstairs.

"Does it feel cold in here to you?" Rayna asks Deacon.

"Why don't you go in the other room and get warm. I'll clean this up."

##

Half an hour later Deacon finds Rayna in the living room, a blanket wrapped around her, standing by the fire, lost in thought.

"I brought you a cup of tea."

"Thank you. I feel like I can't get warm."

They stand quietly by the fire together for a while, holding their tea cups and looking into the flames before Rayna speaks.

"Her death changed my whole life. It changed everything. It changed who I was, who I am now. He took her from me." Rayna doesn't look up from the flames, and her voice is just a whisper.

Deacon watches her for a moment before saying anything. "Ray, maybe if she hadn't died you wouldn't be where you are now."

She laughs. "And where is that? A business woman, in belle Meade, divorced, in an empty relationship, denying everything I truly want? Afraid to be happy?" Her phone rings. She chuckles. "Speak of the devil." Luke Wheeler's name and photo flash across the screen. She turns it off.

Deacon doesn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt Rayna's thoughts.

"After his heart attack last year, I thought he changed. I thought we could have a relationship. I defended him in court! I said family was important to him! But then he tried to have their father killed! And I was right there! It could have been me instead of Peggy!

Am I supposed to sit next to my sister and bury that man? Oh, and she knew! She knew about my mom and didn't even tell me! Instead, she sent him to jail! She sent their grandfather to jail!" She gestures towards the stairs, getting more upset, and starting to shout.

"Ray," Deacon warns, calming her down.

"When I think about what those girls have been through in the past year…" Rayna says more quietly, shaking her head. "And I guess I'm no better! I'm a Wyatt. I lie and manipulate people's lives, just like they do. Did," she corrects herself.

"I spent my whole life trying not to be like them and that's exactly what happened," she chokes, a tear escaping her eyes. "But I'm worse. I'm a hypocrite. I lied to you, to Teddy, to Maddie. To people I love! And I pretend I'm doing it for everyone else. It's all for me. Just like my dad." Her phone rings again. It's Luke again. She turns it off. "And then there's Luke. I'm not interested in Luke! I'm interested in selling records, in the PR campaign," she pauses. "I'm interested in telling Jeff Fordham to go screw himself!"

"Now that's the Rayna I know and love!" Deacon teases, trying to lighten the mood. A small smile escapes her lips.

"I don't want to be this person anymore, Deacon. I don't want it for me; I don't want it for my girls. I want- I just want-" She breaks down, tears flowing now. Deacon puts his arms around her, letting her cry for a few moments before motioning towards the sofa. "I just want ...a life that's good! And this isn't it. This isn't…authentic. I want the life we always talked about. I should have been stronger. I should have waited for you. I should have been true to myself, honest with Teddy. I should have continued with what I wanted for my label. And what I wanted more than anything was to have a warm, loving family life. And now, now I don't even get to see my girls half the time. My own daughters! And outside of them, what do I have left? I've got nothing."

Deacon sits with her as she cries. Eventually he reaches for her hand. "Maybe you just got off track. It's not too late to re- focus," he says, attempting to soothe her.

"I don't know that that's true," Rayna says, her eyes suddenly focused on Deacon's.

Deacon's phone buzzes and Rayna picks it up from the table, handing it to him. "Guess you need to get home."

He types a quick message. "What I need is to stay here and make sure you and the girls are ok. You have me, Ray. You always will, regardless of our relationship. You, Maddie and Daphne- you _are_ my family. I'm not leaving here until I know you are all okay, all three of you, whether you need me to just help with the girls or you need someone to talk to. I'm here."

Rayne curls up into him on the sofa. She doesn't say anything for a long while and just as he thinks she's fallen asleep she says, quietly, "I didn't really mean what I said that night, that we should save ourselves. I was just really hurt, and scared. I miss you being in my life. I'm my best self when I'm with you. I'm my true self. I feel more alive," Deacon holds her more tightly. "But that scares the hell out of me too."

##

Megan watches her phone, waiting for a response. She isn't surprised when Deacon says he's staying to make sure the girls are okay. She wonders which girls he's referring to. She knows how this will end. She was there in Deacon's prison cell. She knows he's never stopped loving Rayna. She's always known this relationship with him would be temporary. That doesn't make it hurt less.

"Well, thank you for dinner. I guess I better get home," Teddy says, watching her expression as she checks her phone.

"You know," she says, letting out a deep breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding, "I could actually use a glass of wine.

Teddy's eyes hold hers.

"Is that an invitation?"

"Well, I'm not fond of drinking alone, and I have a couple of bottles of 2001 Shafer Cabernet Select at home that have just been waiting for company."

"That sounds nice." Teddy smiles.

##

**Thank you for continuing to read. As always, all reviews, suggestions, comments are appreciated! We ALL appreciate reviews. Ideas for the next chapter are also welcome.**

**Thanks to my Whatsapp pals as well. Love you gals!**

**All characters are property of Nashville!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This went in a completely different way than where I expected for now, but I felt like these details needed to be added. I hope it holds your interest!**

**Chapter 3 – Revival**

##

_It had been a wonderful evening, full of music and good vibes all around. Deacon had put on a wonderful performance that evening as a solo act, the girls had fun listening to the bands and as Rayna and Deacon walked to her car, his arm flung casually around her shoulder, she smiled up at him. _

"_Do you have any idea how much I love you?" He asked, giving her a small kiss on the lips, his eyes shining._

_They spot her ex-husband parked nearby in the lot near her SUV. "Teddy! That was a great festival you put together. The girls just left with Tandy. They had a great time with their backstage passes!"_

"_Thanks, Rayna. Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Teddy asks._

"_I'll wait in the car," Deacon offers._

"_You look really happy," Teddy tells Rayna._

"_I am happy. Thanks Teddy." Just as she is about to ask Teddy what he wanted to speak to her about, a man walks by and wishes the mayor a good evening. Suspicious, Teddy turns towards him, just as the man pulls a gun. Teddy reacts quickly and gets the gun from the man, but not before a shot is fired. The man runs off and Teddy and Rayna stand there for a moment, feeling stunned, before Rayna wonders were Deacon is. Time feels like it is standing still as she looks over to the car. The door is open. Her eyes scan the area. Suddenly her world goes silent. _

"No! No! Deacon! Oh my God! No!"

"Rayna. Rayna wake up. Baby, I'm here. I'm right here, Ray."

Rayna opens her eyes, confused. Deacon is sitting in front of her with his arms on her shoulders. He's alive. He's safe. She immediately bursts into tears and clings to Deacon, shaking. Deacon rubs her back and holds her, trying to soothe her. This is new for him. In the past he had always been the one having nightmares. He suddenly realizes it's been a while since he's had one of his own, but he knows how unsettling they feel in the middle of the night. The raw emotions are every bit as real as if the bad dream was a reality. He continues to rub her back and tell her that he's there for her.

"Deacon? Is mom okay?"

He looks up to see Maddie. "She fell asleep. I think she had a bad dream. Can you grab her a glass of water?" He pulls away from Rayna a little, one arm resting around her waist, the other hand brushing away her tears. "Baby, what happened? Are you okay?"

Rayna just looks at him, lost, as Maddie hands over the glass of water. She takes a sip and nods that she's okay, offering her daughter a small smile through her tears. "I'm okay sweet girl. You can go back to bed," she says, still looking confused.

"Deacon?" She asks her father, not believing that Rayna is okay.

"Why don't we get you both back upstairs to bed, how's that sound?" He asks calmly. Rayna gives another small nod but doesn't move. Deacon hands Maddie the glass of water as he helps Rayna up and motions for Maddie to lead the way.

He leads Rayna to her bed and she sits there, burying her face in her hands. Maddie puts the glass of water on the nightstand. "Are you going to stay with her?" Maddie asks, still looking scared.

He gives her a hug and kisses her on top of her head. "She'll be okay. I'll stay here as long as you need me. You go get some sleep." He walks her to the hallway and watches her walk to her room and close the door.

"Come on, Ray, why don't you get under the covers and I'll camp out downstairs?" He starts to pull some pillows off of the bed and turn down the covers. "Rayna? Rayna, baby, talk to me." He kneels down in front of her and reaches for her hands.

"I thought you were dead," she says quietly, her face pale and without expression. "We were at the music festival and you were shot instead of Peggy. And then- it was all so real. And it was so quiet. There was no music. No sound at all."

"I'm right here, Ray. It was just a dream."

"But you're not here. You're not really here. And the music's gone too. He took it. He took everything. And Tandy. I listened to them. I made you feel like you weren't good enough. Because of my Mama…and Watty."

"Ray, you're not making sense. It was a dream."

Rayna takes a deep breath and lets it out, gathering herself together. "No, I know the part at the music festival was a dream. It was awful, but I know, it wasn't real. That was what happened with Peggy that night, the night Daddy had her shot, instead of Teddy. He put a hit out on Teddy, because he thought Teddy sent him to prison," she laughs bitterly, "but that was Tandy who put our father in prison, as a payback after she learned he was responsible for my mother's death. If people don't do what he wants, he just has them killed. Or HAD then killed. My mama was going to leave him for Watty the night of her accident."

"Watty? They were a couple? How long have you known?"

"Watty told me about their relationship last year, when Daddy was in the hospital. I found out about Tandy's role in all of this yesterday, I guess just before Maddie called you." She looks up at Deacon for the first time. "Thank you for coming right over, and being there for her. That means so much."

Deacon stands up, his knees getting stiff, and sits next to Rayna on the bed. "Who told you about Lamar's role?"

"Tandy filled me in on what he did to my mama. Teddy told me about what he and Megan learned about the night at the music festival."

"Megan?" he asks, surprised to hear her name.

"Yeah, I guess she's involved in the case against the gunman? For his family? Anyway, Teddy told me they had figured out Daddy was responsible, so I went over and confronted him. I asked if he had seriously tried to kill their father. I was screaming at him. I told him I was sorry I had defended him, sorry I tried to rebuild a relationship with him. I said I should have trusted my instincts about him from the beginning, from when I was a kid. I said," she takes in a sharp breath, "I said he was dead to me." She looks down again.

"Is that when he had his heart attack? Where you there?"

She shakes her head. "I guess it happened right after I stormed out." She lets out another breath and one last tear escapes her eyes.

"Ray, I'm so sorry. You're not responsible for his death. You know that right?"

She shrugs. "What I am responsible for is ever listening to him, or Tandy; I'm responsible for ever trying to live my life by their rules, and for ever believing that you couldn't be a good father to Maddie, that the girls would be better off with someone who cheats on his wife and embezzles millions of dollars. I let them turn me into exactly what I didn't want to be. And I lost the best part of me. I lost you. Twice. I listened to them when I was in the hospital, too. They had me believing everything was your fault."

"The accident, Rayna? The accident was my fault."

"No, it wasn't, Deacon. It was a result of all of the lies blowing up around us. You had gotten sober. You had done everything you were supposed to do, and I was truly so proud of you. I still am Deacon. You're the strongest person I know, and the one person in my life that I have always wanted to respect my choices, my decisions. You always kept me honest, with my life, my music. It's always when you weren't around that things got really off course."

"I think maybe your hindsight is not quite 20/20. Maybe you've got those rose colored glasses on again? You've been through so much lately, Ray. I think you need to give yourself some time to adjust. You and Tandy, you'll get through this. And you need to process that your father just died. No matter what he did wrong, he was still your father, and Maddie and Daphne's grandfather."

"Did you miss your father when he died?"

Deacon laughs. "My daddy wasn't half the man Lamar Wyatt was, and that's sayin' something.' He was a mean SOB and I don't think he ever pretended to love any of us. Was I sorry he died? Nope. I was just sorry that he didn't die sooner."

"If Daddy had died sooner than other, better people would still be alive. And what do I do about the girls? Do I let them know about any of this?"

A flash of understanding crosses Deacon's face. "Things aren't so black and white when you have kids, are they?"

Rayna meets Deacon's eyes. "No."

"Well, I think you need to take things one day at a time. And I think you're probably going to have to talk to Tandy, at least about the funeral."

"I don't even know if I can go to the funeral."

"Well, don't go for you," he says gently, squeezing her hands in his. "Go for your mama, and your girls. And if you want me to I'll be right there with you."

She nods her head. "Will you stay with me tonight, too?" She looks down and starts playing with the string of her sweatpants. "I just don't want to be alone."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: **

##

"Ray…"

"No, Deacon, I don't mean like that," she suddenly finds herself holding back tears. "I don't mean like that, but I also don't not mean that." She takes in a deep breath and let's it out. "Yes, if I'm being completely honest, with both of us, I want US back again. I want that more than anything. But I know things are so so complicated. I know that." Tears start pouring down her cheeks.

"Rayna, I can't spend all night holding you and then pretend tomorrow everything's the same as it was today."

"So don't. Don't pretend things are the same tomorrow."

He continues to hold her hand in his, watching as he rubs his thumb across her hand.

"Deacon I need you. I need you to be here with me right now. I want you to be here with me right now," she declares firmly, sounding more like her strong, confident self.

"Rayna, what are _you_ going to want tomorrow?"

"You, Deacon. I have only ever wanted you, since the day I first met you. That didn't change when I married Teddy, it didn't change after the accident and it didn't change when I was onstage singin' with Luke Damn Wheeler. I told myself I couldn't be with you, that it was too late for us, that we weren't good for each other, but all of that just isn't true. You are the BEST thing that's ever happened to me.

And, if you don't share my feelings then I will do my best to understand, and I will leave you to it, but tonight, I really do not want to be alone.

Oh, for Pete's sake it's a big bed!" She finally shouts the last part, exasperated.

"Darlin' I don't care how big the bed is," he grins, "you will end up curled around me and I will be hanging off of the bed!"

She smiles. "It's true," she confesses.

He reaches up to push some hair out of her face. "Baby, I love you. I love you so much. And I want to be with you, too, but yeah, it's so complicated. I will stay here with you tonight, darlin', but I can't promise you I won't be wearing my heart on my sleeve tomorrow.

In the meantime I'm keeping these pillows here to keep you away," he teases, kicking off his boots and laying down on the king size bed, placing a throw pillow between them.

"I will keep my hands to myself!" She raises her hands in mock defeat. She switches off the light and joins him on top of the covers, on her own side of the throw pillow. "You seem really happy lately Deacon. The last thing I want to do is mess that up for you. More than anything, I miss your friendship."

"I miss that too, Ray," he says, sliding the pillow down so they are face to face, confiding in each other like friends at a slumber party. "And I am pretty happy."

"Megan seems like…you seem really good together."

"It's not just that, Ray. I'm just, content with what I still have. For a while it seemed like I lost everything, but except for a few small factors," he raises his eyebrows in Rayna's direction, "I'm pretty content. I feel like, I dunno, I have more purpose in my life. I really enjoy the time I spend with Maddie, and when I'm not with her, I just have even more reason to keep my life on track. It's not so empty anymore."

Rayna sheds another single tear and it glistens in the moonlight shining through the window. "Ray, it's okay. Maybe you were right. I wasn't ready to be a dad back then."

"You're doing a great job now. She loves you, and you're there for her. That's all ever wanted for her; someone to be there for her, the way my Daddy wasn't there for me."

Deacon tosses the pillow that's between them and Rayna curls up into him, both of them soon drifting off to sleep.

##

Rayna's alarm goes off early the next morning. She sits up, attempting to free herself from Deacon's arm but he pulls her in closer.

"Deacon. I need to get the girls ready for school. I need to go make breakfast."

"You're gonna make them go to school today?"

"Yeah, Daphne has a colonial faire that she's worked so hard on. It will get her mind off things. And I guess I better deal with Tandy, or at least try to get Bucky to deal with her."

"Well, why don't I go make them some breakfast and I can take them to school. I could use a change of clothes anyway. Are you gonna be okay for a bit? And, damn it, don't just say you'll be fine!"

"Alright, I won't! Yes, please take the girls to school and then come back and make sure I don't strangle my sister! I'm not certain where Bucky's allegiance lies!"

##

The girls are happy to see Deacon in the morning. Before he drops them off at school Daphne makes him promise to help them write a song that afternoon, something for her PawPaw.

After he stops home to shower he figures he should swing by Megan's office with her favorite coffee as a peace offering for standing her up for their date the night before. It's still early when he arrives at her office and her secretary is nowhere to be found, so he heads down the hall and peeks in through her slightly ajar door to make sure she's not in a meeting. To his surprise, he walks in not on a meeting, but an intimate moment between Megan and Teddy Conrad.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Deacon demands.

"Deacon, I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"Yeah, I can see that. Is this why your new case is so secret? Because you've been spending time with this douchebag?"

"Now wait a minute!" Teddy pipes up.

"Deacon this isn't what it looks like," Megan tries to explain.

Deacon puts the coffee tray on the desk and slowly turns to Teddy, suddenly feeling calmer than he has during past interactions with the mayor. "What is your problem Conrad? For someone who can't stand the site of me you sure as he'll have no problems raising my daughter or hookin' up with my girlfriends. Anything else I can offer you?"

##

**Thank you for continuing to read. As always, all reviews, suggestions, comments are appreciated, both good and bad! We ALL appreciate reviews. Ideas for the next chapters are also welcome! I'm a bit of a control freak and when the plot doesn't go in the direction I'd like, it makes me feel better to write my own direction. So, I write for me, but support and feedback are definitely welcome and encouraged!**

**All characters are property of Nashville, not me.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to all of you who are continuing to read and for everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate it! Special thanks to Nashville1211, HelloWhitty87 and Agus87 for their feedback on such things as throw pillows, and for your great conversation and support! As always, all reviews, suggestions, comments are appreciated, both good and bad. We ALL appreciate reviews! Ideas for the next chapters are also welcomed and encouraged.**

**All characters are property of Nashville, not me. **

*****Story includes several recent spoilers.*****

**Chapter 5: The Savior Complex**

Teddy has never liked Deacon. He never liked what he'd put Rayna through. He never liked that he wasn't there for his child; he wasn't there for the birthdays or the skinned knees. But then he'd show up and his mom would act like he was her knight in shining armor. Teddy blinked and shook his head, suddenly wondering where his thoughts were going, if his memories were correct. His mom? Were his feelings about Deacon or his feelings about his own father, a man who was too drunk to ever be there for his family but when he did show up his mom would bow down to him, and he and his sister were expected to worship him, to be on their best behavior. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

"Two creams in the coffee Teddy, help yourself. What's mine is yours," Deacon says sarcastically.

Teddy is lost in thought. "Megan, I'm sorry. I'll, I'll call you later."

Both Megan and Deacon are left staring after him, uncertain of what just transpired.

"Well, that's a first," Deacon says smirking, hands on hips, not sure why Teddy passed up a chance to tell him for the 90th time what a loser he is.

Finally, Megan turns and looks at Deacon. "How's Maddie doing? And Rayna? It must be so hard for the girls to lose their grandfather, especially so soon after Peggy's death."

Deacon stares at her. "What's going on with you and Teddy?"

"I haven't known him very long, Deacon. We have a lot in common. We've both lost spouses to gun violence and he needed someone to talk to."

"And you thought you could rescue him? Just like you thought you could save me?" Megan doesn't say anything, she just waits for Deacon to continue. "Why did you ask me to take you to dinner that first time, Megan? What were you thinking about me? I'm this hot-headed alky that you seduced to fulfill your savior complex? Because when you're busy fixing everyone else's problems you don't have time to think about your own?"

"Deacon, that's not fair."

"But you're not saying it isn't true."

Megan takes a deep breath. "I don't know if it's true. Maybe at first, but not once I got to know you better. I thought you were charming and sexy and smart…and interesting. And I thought you were safe. You're in love with Rayna and that's never not been obvious. I didn't mind because part of me will never get over losing David- or loving him. I've enjoyed being with you, and I've been happy, but I've always assumed that this was temporary with us."

"But Teddy Conrad, Megan?" Deacon's anger has tapered off. Now he's just trying to come to terms with the situation at hand.

"I didn't plan this Deacon, and the last thing I want is to hurt you. I had drinks with Teddy last night, that's all. He went home after. But, if you don't mind my asking, where did you spend your night?" Megan asks, as knowing expression on her face, but softness in her eyes.

##

After Deacon leaves Rayna sends a text to Luke. He's back on tour and it's still rather early in the morning.

_Call me when you have a minute. We need to talk. _

She scrolls through the rest of her messages. Tandy. Bucky. Tandy. Tandy. All of her voicemails are from either Luke or Tandy.

"Bucky? Heyyy. Are you with Tandy?... No, I'd rather not talk to her. Can you just tell her to go ahead and do whatever she wants with the funeral arrangements?...Are you gonna stay with her Buck?...Yeah, I'm doin' okay. Deacon was here last night…Maddie called him…No, he's been great. I'm just trying to, sort this all out. I'll talk to Tandy soon, I'm just not ready yet…Thanks, Buck. I appreciate it so much."

##

Rayna answers the door, expecting another flower delivery.

"Watty! What are you doing here?"

Watty White reaches over and hugs Rayna. "I heard about Lamar. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, you didn't have to drive all the way over here, but I'm glad to see you."

Rayna invites him in and makes a pot of tea, filling him in on all of their recent events.

"I swear, Watty, I feel like everyone in this family is a damn liar. And now I don't know how to feel about him and this funeral. "Watty sips his tea, letting her vent all of her emotions on him. In many ways, he reminds her of an older version of Liam. She wonders if that's what Watty was like to her mom, if the role he served was to help her to be her true self, a fun yet understanding companion.

"I had a dream about my mom last night. About the accident- or at least the version of it that I imagined when I was a little girl," Watty offers her a kind smile. "She was so pretty. In some ways I think I held her responsible for the accident. In my dream she was wearing these moccasins that she had just bought- very atypical of her to wear flats- and she didn't want them to get wet in the river. She was looking for her hair brush. There was a reporter and she was worried her hair was a mess." Rayna looks out the window, off into the distance.

"Rayna, look at me. Your mother loved you, and your sister, very much. She did her best to keep your family together. She did that for you girls. I was angry at Lamar after her death, and I accused him of causing the accident, of being responsible. I knew what Lamar was capable of. But, he was devastated when she died. I don't know whether he was the one to run her off of the road that night, but he did love her, and he loved you girls. She just didn't love him back. I know you want to blame him but you need to remember, there are three sides to every story, his side, her side, and what really happened. Your father loved you, and even if he didn't always show it the best way, he's done everything he could to protect you."

##

"Hey, gorgeous!" Deacon says cheerfully, finding Rayna sitting at the kitchen table, lost in thought. "I grabbed us some lunch on my way back. I thought you might be hungry. Everything okay?"

Rayna smiles at him, looking drained. "It's been a long morning. Watty was here, and I just got done ending things with Luke. I could use a drink."

"Some days are like that."

Deacon sits down at the table, waiting to hear what else she has to share. "Tandy's coming over later. We're gonna talk, sort out a few things. Watty helped me realize that my parents were both people who made mistakes with their lives. I don't know if he was responsible for my mother's death. I'm pretty certain he had somethin' to do with Peggy's, and while I can't forgive that, he was still my Daddy," her voice cracks just a little. "We all make mistakes and the sad part is, some of us don't get a chance to correct them."

"But some of us do."

Rayna smiles, tears still shining in her eyes. "That's one thing I've always liked about you Deacon Claybourne, you've always known how to finish off my sentences."

It's Deacon who finally breaks their eye contact. "I stopped by to see Megan today after picking a few things up at the house."

Rayna takes in a sharp breath and Deacon reaches for her hands, before looking back up at her. She smiles warmly at him, waiting to hear his news. "We broke up, too. It seems she's interested in someone else," Rayna's eyes are questioning, both wondering who it is and also how anyone could become disinterested in this kind, gorgeous man in front of her. "I walked in on Megan looking awfully cozy with our own Mayor Conrad!"

"Noooo!" Rayna's mouth drops open, eyes wide.

Deacon laughs. "It was like déjà vu all over again!"

"Oh, Deacon, I'm so sorry," she adds sympathetically.

"It's okay. It's for the best. She says they share common ground, but nothing has happened yet. I couldn't really say the same for myself." He looks at her, his hand rising up to caress her soft cheek, before leaning in and softly covering her lips with his.

**To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to all of you who are continuing to read and for everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate your comments! Special thanks to Asia and Breanna! As always, all reviews, suggestions, comments are appreciated, both good and bad. We ALL appreciate reviews! Ideas for the next chapters are also welcomed and encouraged.**

**All characters are property of Nashville, not me. **

**The song in this story is "Clouds" by Montgomery Gentry.**

*****Story includes several recent spoilers.*****

**Chapter 6: Clouds Rolling By**

He looks at her, his hand rising up to caress her soft cheek, before leaning in and softly covering her lips with his own. Rayna savors this moment, his gentleness, and smiles at him when the kiss is through, when he leans back, both taking a moment to breathe, still only inches apart

"How about we dig into these sandwiches before they, uh, get cold?" Deacon suggests, holding her hands in his, a look in his eyes that says he will love this woman until the day he dies.

##

"I'm sorry I'm late," Tandy says somberly, as she enters the kitchen to find Deacon and Rayna just cleaning up from lunch. "I got over here as fast as I could."

Rayna studies her, "You don't look okay. What's going on?"

"No, no I'm not okay. I just got off the phone with the medical examiner."

"The medical examiner? About Mom?"

"No. This was about Daddy. I'm still trying to make sense of it all but I wanted to come right over here to talk to you about everything Dr. Levy told me. I want you to know that I'm not keeping anything from you."

"Okay," Rayna responds, bracing herself for impact.

"Why would the medical examiner be calling about your father? " Deacon asks. "He had a heart condition and he died at home."

"Well that's what I said," Tandy adds, **"**but Dr. Levy said the law requires that the Chief Medical Examiner investigate the deaths of anyone dying in any suspicious or unusual manner. The medical examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of death."

"The hospital said it was a heart attack. What's suspicious about that?" Rayna asks, confused. "It wasn't his first heart attack." She pauses, a thought occurring to her, "Do they think it was my fault he died?"

"No, Rayna. The ambulance didn't pick Daddy up at home. He was brought in from downtown, from Metro Courthouse. From the mayor's office."

"He was with Teddy?" Deacon asks.

"I confirmed with Albert that Daddy was going to see Teddy but Teddy's not returning my calls. They haven't completed an autopsy yet but Dr. Levy explained that when anyone has a heart attack, chemicals are released in the body, which signify the body was trying to repair its heart.  
They've done blood tests, and those results **are** back. Dr. Levy also explained that adrenaline released during intense physical activity often acts as a trigger for sudden death when abnormalities are already present. Basically, under certain conditions, like an intense argument, an increased amount of adrenaline can lead to abnormal heart rhythms that can cause sudden death. "

"So, what does this mean?" Rayna asks, shaking her head.

"Well, from the blood work they can see what lead to his heart attack. They can also see how much damage was done to this brain, and tell how long he was dead before he was found." 

"So what are they saying, Tandy," Deacon asks, "that Teddy waited too long to call for help?"

"That's exactly what they're saying," Tandy tells them. "Rayna, you need to call Teddy and get him over here."

##

"Rayna, what was the emergency. Are the girls okay?"

"The girls are fine. Deacon just left to pick them up from school," Rayna announces, daring Teddy to argue, but he doesn't. "That's not a problem for you, Teddy, that Deacon's picking the girls up?"

"Are you trying to argue with me, Rayna?"

"I'm trying to figure out what's suddenly changed with you, Teddy."

"I have a lot going on right now, so if you don't mind can you just tell me why you asked me over here."

"Because I want to know why you didn't tell me Daddy was with you when he had his heart attack," Rayna yells. "You let me feel like it was my fault he died! How long was he with you, Teddy? How long was he in distress before you called for help? And don't you dare lie to me again!"

Teddy looks up at her from the spot on the floor he's been staring at. "He was already gone before I called 911," he confesses.

Tandy remains quiet in her seat at the table.

"How could you?" Rayna asks in a low, accusatory voice. "He's your daughters' grandfather! What is this Teddy? Revenge? An eye for an eye?"

"He killed my wife, Rayna. He killed Peggy and they let him go." Teddy's eyes fill with tears and he struggles to maintain his composure. "He's a murderer. He tried to kill me. Would that have been okay? Is that who you want our daughters around?"

"No," she confesses.

Teddy looks away from her. "It all happened pretty fast. Even if I had called the ambulance sooner, it wouldn't have made any difference."

A tear rolls down Rayna's face. She is in complete disbelief over everything that has transpired in the past 12 months. She wishes Deacon was there with her, but instead she is comforted by the fact that he is the one looking after her daughters that afternoon. Deacon's previous failed attempts at sobriety pale in comparison to murder and corruption.

Teddy turns to Tandy. "He thought I was responsible for turning him in. That was you, wasn't it Tandy."

Tandy nods. "I found out he was responsible for our mother's death."

Teddy sighs and sits down at the table next to Tandy.

##

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"Hi, Deacon." Maddie says, walking towards Deacon and giving him a quick hug. He had been standing beside his truck, waiting for the girls, feeling slightly uncomfortable as he feels the eyes of more than just a few mothers gazing at him. "Where's Mom?"

"She had a few things to take care of with your Aunt Tandy, so we're going to go hang out at my place for a bit." At that moment Daphne comes running out of the school, shouting "Deacon!" from across the lawn and jumping into his arms. "Can we go and write our song now?"

"We can. But right now we better get over to my house before all of this ice cream melts." Daphne smiles and nods her head excitedly.

"And so these moms can stop ogling over you?" Maddie adds.

Now it's Deacon's turn to nod. "I'm starting to feel just a little uncomfortable. Let's get out of here!"

"I thought of some song lyrics," Daphne adds as she buckles her seatbelt.

"Oh, yeah? What have you got?"

"Clouds rolling by, way up high, sometimes I wonder if you're up in there, in the clouds," she sings.

'What do you think?"

**To be continued!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you all for taking the time to read, and for those of you who have reviewed. Special thanks to Agus who gave me an outline and helped me to actually finish a story! I may have rushed this a bit but I really wanted to get it up before the funeral. Would love to hear your thoughts!_

**Chapter 7**

"Maddie those chords sound great! You two make a great songwriting team!"

Daphne grins.

"You did most of the work!" Maddie argues.

"I just helped you put it together. Y'all did all the creative work."

"Thank you," Maddie concedes.

"I'll get it!" Daphne jumps up when she hears a knock at the door. "Hi, Mom, how are you feeling?"

"Better now that I'm looking at your smiling face," Rayna says, hugging Daphne.

"Hi, Mom. Guess what? We wrote a song, for Grandpa. We were wondering if it might be okay for us to sing at his funeral. Daphne came up with most if the lyrics. It's really sweet."

Rayna quickly glances at Deacon, giving him a look that says they'll talk later about her conversations with Teddy and Tandy. She plasters on a smile and sits next to Maddie. "I'd love to hear it sweet girls. You know, he just adored the song you sang to him the other day. He thought it was really special, and he loved you both so much."

"We loved him too mom. That's why we wrote this song," Daphne responds sweetly.

_Clouds rolling by way up high  
Sometimes I wonder if you're up there in the clouds  
When it rains, skies are gray  
Is that you crying up there somewhere in the clouds_

I hate sunny days, nothing but empty blue skies  
So I pray, oh, how I pray for clouds taking shape  
I swear sometimes I can almost see your face  
Somewhere up there in the clouds

Sometimes on a plane I feel like I'm with you  
Just hanging out somewhere up there in the clouds  
Rolling by way up high with the angles fly  
Yes, I miss you down here  
But I'll see you up there in the clouds, in the clouds  
Yes, I miss you down here but I'll see you up there in the clouds 

Deacon smiles at Rayna, nodding his head at the girls, a huge grin plastered across his face.

Rayna claps her hands together as they finish. "Girls, that was beautiful. And I definitely think he is looking down on you, smiling." She tries to convince the girls, but she's not so convinced herself that that's where he has moved on to.

Daphne responds happily, but Rayna can tell Maddie suspects there's more going on.

"Deacon, are those brownies done now?" Daphne asks.

"I think they've probably cooled down. Why don't I help you with those, and you can scoop the ice cream."

After Deacon and Daphne head into the kitchen Maddie confronts Rayna. "There's more going on, isn't there?"

Rayna concedes. "There is. And I meant it when I said I don't want to lie anymore. Your grandfather was not always an honorable man. Daphne is not ready to hear this and, well, hell, I wasn't ready to hear it. But if I tell you, I'm afraid it will ruin your memories of him, and I don't want that for you. I promise you, his love for you was real and nothing he's done changes that. He made some mistakes, some bad business dealings..."

"It's okay Mom. I don't want to know the rest. But thank you for being honest with me."

Rayna hugs her. "Thank YOU for being so understanding. You've grown up so much in this past year."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I don't think it is. I like who I am now. I feel like I finally understand myself."

"I'm so proud of you Maddie. You're such a good person."

Maddie smiles.

Daphne comes running in. "Brownies are served. But you better hurry; I think Deacon has his eye on all of them!"

Maddie and Rayna join Deacon and Daphne in the kitchen for their snack.

"Mom can we stay here and watch a movie? Deacon said we could watch Old Yeller."

"Old Yeller? Really? Do you_ own_ any other movies?" She asks, looking at Deacon.

"Nope! No need! I've got Old Yeller." Rayna shakes her head, smiling at him.

"Well, actually, it is getting late. Maybe we could watch it another night."

"But, Mom, it's Friday. Can't we just watch it here and have a sleepover?" Daphne suggests innocently.

Rayna looks at the faces around the room, and is herself reluctant to get back to Belle Meade.

Deacon can sense she's not looking forward to returning to her own home. "You've got Scarlett out on the road, and she wouldn't mind sharing her room, in my house, that I own." He adds, a bit curmudgeonly.

"Well, all right, if that's what ya'll want to do!"

"Can we make popcorn?" Daphne asks. They all just stare at her.

"Where do you put all of this food?" Deacon finally asks.

##

Fortunately Daphne falls asleep before the end of the movie.

"I know what I'm buying you for your birthday," Maddie states. "New movies!"

Deacon grins. "Why don't I scoop this one up and show you to Scarlett's room."

Rayna heads to the kitchen to clean up some of the desert dishes and is standing at the sink when Deacon returns, water running over the same already cleaned bowl.

Deacon walks up and puts his arms around her waist, turning off the water. He kisses her cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." She turns around and puts her arms around his neck. "I'm glad we're staying here tonight. This feels like home to me."

"Maybe something good has come out of all of this after all," he says, rubbing her back and breathing in the scent of her hair conditioner.

"I think it has. I think it finally has."

**The End!**

_***The song the girls sing is Clouds by Montgomery Gentry._


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